WHO Issues Warning Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs
Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
